NEWS

Most challenging character concepts that works?

  • 46 Replies
  • 13311 Views

legionof1

  • *
  • Newb
  • *
  • Posts: 57
« Reply #30 on: <02-13-18/2218:15> »
snip
Yeah, he's a Prototype Transhuman with Bone Density and 4x Striking Callouses and Critical Strike already.
snip

From personal experience this is usually plenty of oomhp even if you tend to do mostly stun against armored targets. STR+4-6 is plenty nasty even for humans.   

Marcus

  • *
  • Prime Runner
  • *****
  • Posts: 2802
  • Success always demands a greater effort.
« Reply #31 on: <02-13-18/2220:34> »
...
The leadership based mastermind is from personal experience, really hard to make worth the investment, without just ending being a primary face anyway. Rally in particular is pretty weak, only producing +1 initiative per two hits. It can be very useful at times but it requires allies to have rolled initiative just shy of an additional pass to shine. And players investing in initiative modifiers have probably tuned themselves to be just over a pass. I found there is plenty more mileage via the Direct action.
....

I have to say...I have a TM with high leadership playing the overwatch position of groups in Shadowrun Missions, and I've always been quite pleased with how he does.  Just on the rally action alone, I often just spend each action in combat taking the rally action, and I've been able to have my dice pools around 30-ish pretty consistently.  With an average of +5 to everyone's initiative per rally, that's granting everyone else in the group a bonus action every two rallies.

Admittedly, I invested a lot with leadership - a standard pool of 12 dice isn't going to get you a lot.

Also, aiding other's actions is always useful.  Considering my pool is usually big enough that I can just buy the 6 successes necessary to just give folks the max bonus dice they can get with six skill ranks...

I think the original poster of the 'leadership' idea probably assumed that the character is primarily a face anyway.  Otherwise, that's just one more strike against your build (fighting upstream, as it were).  You can only do so much with the points you've been given.

Some interesting feed back there, is Rally Simple or Complex? How big is your Team? giving up two actions to give the other team mates an action is some interesting math.
*Play-by-Post color guide*
Thinking
com
speaking

firebug

  • *
  • Errata Coordinator
  • Prime Runner
  • *****
  • Posts: 2993
  • Scraping the bottom of the Resonance Barrel
« Reply #32 on: <02-13-18/2227:08> »
snip
Yeah, he's a Prototype Transhuman with Bone Density and 4x Striking Callouses and Critical Strike already.
snip

From personal experience this is usually plenty of oomhp even if you tend to do mostly stun against armored targets. STR+4-6 is plenty nasty even for humans.

Add in adepts having high dice pools, and then you get powers like Penetrating Strike for -4 AP...  Unarmed Adepts wreck face in 5th Edition.  Plus if you buy Smashing Blow (or get it in a Qi Focus) then you can also just obliterate obstacles with your bare hands.  Try striking a barricaded door with 30P and seeing your GM have to explain how destroyed the door is.
I'm Madpath Moth on reddit (and other sites).  Feel free to PM me errata questions!
Jeeze.  It would almost sound stupid until you realize we're talking about an immortal elf clown sword fighting a dragon ghost in a mall.

Marcus

  • *
  • Prime Runner
  • *****
  • Posts: 2802
  • Success always demands a greater effort.
« Reply #33 on: <02-13-18/2236:21> »
snip
Yeah, he's a Prototype Transhuman with Bone Density and 4x Striking Callouses and Critical Strike already.
snip

From personal experience this is usually plenty of oomhp even if you tend to do mostly stun against armored targets. STR+4-6 is plenty nasty even for humans.

Strength +2 with a Solid to hit pools does the job just fine. I don't see the reason everyone feels like they need unarmed damage over 10P. Melee combat is much more dependent on pool and accuracy(P-limit where applicable) then it is by Damage. A troll with combat axe might as well take a seat cause he's never gonna hit anything vs well built melee characters.  Martial arts will give a lot more interesting options, then simply being the one hit wonder. A Shadowblock expert teamed with Auto weapon user can do some interesting things. Yes it takes team work, but Runners are part of team for a reason.
*Play-by-Post color guide*
Thinking
com
speaking

Glyph

  • *
  • Ace Runner
  • ****
  • Posts: 1661
« Reply #34 on: <02-13-18/2237:06> »
I've done two human martial artist builds.  The adept had Prototype Transhuman like JoeNapalm's, heavily augmented, mostly with bioware.  I also took Rapid Draw and Missile Mastery to complement it.  Someone who needs no weapons - he can use his hands and feet in close, or pick up anything at hand to throw at greater range.  The mundane human, by contrast, was better at tanking, equally good at damage, and slower but with better passive dodge.  His main thing, though, was an Edge of 7 and the RIM quality.

legionof1

  • *
  • Newb
  • *
  • Posts: 57
« Reply #35 on: <02-13-18/2237:54> »
snip
Some interesting feed back there, is Rally Simple or Complex? How big is your Team? giving up two actions to give the other team mates an action is some interesting math.

All the basic leadership options are complex actions. So if you have the huge pool and a few passes per turn its pretty good.

The question is if investing to 30ish DP by whatever means worth the extra pass for the team for every 2 of yours. I would be inclined to say no, given what 30 DP would by you elsewhere.

30 DP is admittedly easier to get to in social instances but damn that's some investment still

Marcus

  • *
  • Prime Runner
  • *****
  • Posts: 2802
  • Success always demands a greater effort.
« Reply #36 on: <02-13-18/2243:01> »
snip
Some interesting feed back there, is Rally Simple or Complex? How big is your Team? giving up two actions to give the other team mates an action is some interesting math.

All the basic leadership options are complex actions. So if you have the huge pool and a few passes per turn its pretty good.

The question is if investing to 30ish DP by whatever means worth the extra pass for the teith am for every 2 of yours. I would be inclined to say no, given what 30 DP would by you elsewhere.

30 DP is admittedly easier to get to in social instances but damn that's some investment still

Yeah I don't think i dare sit down with a pool at 30, even if I could figure one out it's just pushing the limit more then I am prepared to do.
*Play-by-Post color guide*
Thinking
com
speaking

JoeNapalm

  • *
  • Ace Runner
  • ****
  • Posts: 1309
  • Ifriti Sophist
« Reply #37 on: <02-14-18/1125:35> »

Thanks, all -- I did some tweaking and came out with him punching with the same force as his 12 gauge, so I'm pretty content.

I do have some more things I'm pondering, but I can start a new thread rather than further derail this one.

-Jn-
Ifriti Sophist

ShadowcatX

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 573
« Reply #38 on: <02-14-18/1236:10> »
Can the decker mage work anymore?

Tecumseh

  • *
  • Prime Runner
  • *****
  • Posts: 3938
« Reply #39 on: <02-14-18/1340:34> »
@Glyph Do you have those builds posted anywhere? I've been tinkering with unarmed adepts lately and want to compare notes.

Glyph

  • *
  • Ace Runner
  • ****
  • Posts: 1661
« Reply #40 on: <02-14-18/2342:11> »
@Glyph Do you have those builds posted anywhere? I've been tinkering with unarmed adepts lately and want to compare notes.

I just posted the prototype human adept build in a new thread.

ZeldaBravo

  • *
  • Ace Runner
  • ****
  • Posts: 1067
« Reply #41 on: <02-16-18/0350:00> »
Can the decker mage work anymore?
Of course! A solid concept.
*I have problems with clarifying my point in English, so sometimes I might sound stupid or rude.*

Finstersang

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 751
« Reply #42 on: <02-16-18/0440:30> »
Can the decker mage work anymore?
Of course! A solid concept.

Increase Attribute for Logic and Intuition Buffs. Spells like Pulse or Vehicle Mask that are straight up Complex Forms given to magicians for some reason. Mind Probe as a shortcut for acquiring passwords and paydata. Spirits that guard your body while you are in VR. Itīs a lot more solid than a present-day Technomancer  :P

Same goes for decker adepts, which can be easily build as mobile AR-Combat Hackers with Increased Reflexes, Improved Skills and Perfect Time.

You have to be a bit tricky with the priorites and you will probably need to shave your head for the trodes, though  8)
« Last Edit: <02-16-18/0714:50> by Finstersang »

firebug

  • *
  • Errata Coordinator
  • Prime Runner
  • *****
  • Posts: 2993
  • Scraping the bottom of the Resonance Barrel
« Reply #43 on: <02-16-18/0447:27> »
Can the decker mage work anymore?
Of course! A solid concept.

There was a challenge on this board to make a character who had a C in all priorities.  I went with an Aspected Hermetic Sorcerer/Decker.  Increase LOG to have 10 Logic makes you a good decker basically by itself, before even getting creative with it.

And yeah...  The character was a better hacker (and legitimately less cheesy) than most TMs I've seen or made.
I'm Madpath Moth on reddit (and other sites).  Feel free to PM me errata questions!
Jeeze.  It would almost sound stupid until you realize we're talking about an immortal elf clown sword fighting a dragon ghost in a mall.

ShadowcatX

  • *
  • Omae
  • ***
  • Posts: 573
« Reply #44 on: <02-16-18/0959:27> »
Can the decker mage work anymore?
Of course! A solid concept.

There was a challenge on this board to make a character who had a C in all priorities.  I went with an Aspected Hermetic Sorcerer/Decker.  Increase LOG to have 10 Logic makes you a good decker basically by itself, before even getting creative with it.

And yeah...  The character was a better hacker (and legitimately less cheesy) than most TMs I've seen or made.

Narco + Psyche?